News & Media

Professor Iain McLean comments on the Supreme Court’s decision that 27 ‘frank’ letters by the Prince of Wales must be published

Tuesday 31st March 2015

iPhoto: Photo by Becky Tappin - Flick (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Iain McLean has been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live’s ‘Drive’ programme (26 March), discussing the Supreme Court’ recent overruling of the former Attorney-General’s decision to prevent the publication 27 letters by the Prince of Wales to Government ministers containing the prince’s “most deeply held personal views and beliefs”.

Iain said, “The principle of neutrality of the monarch is absolutely vital constitutionally, and everybody notes that the Queen has observed that scrupulously, and as an example of the dangers that can arise I won’t say anything about Prince Charles; I will say though about King George V, back in 1912. He held very very strong views which were opposed to the views of the government of the day, about Ulster protestants and opposed to Irish home rule, and those views contributed to the constitutional crisis in those years[.]”